Officials revive beach renourishment talk

Flagler County is going to push forward with a feasibility study to protect the shoreline and replace the tiny grains of sand regularly washed out to sea with the storms.

Commissioners reopened discussions during a workshop Wednesday about whether beach renourishment is in taxpayers' best interest, and decided it was.

"I don't think anyone questions that our beach is one of our greatest assets," Commissioner Milissa Holland said. "We're on this long 20-year study, and yet are beach continues to wash away. We're bleeding funds on an annual basis for this study."

The study's revised estimated cost of $3.52 million, to be split about 50-50 between the county and the federal government, is more than double the price tag from when the study began in 2004. As much as the cost, Holland said she is vexed by the amount of time the study is taking to complete -- with only the first six steps of the 20-step process completed.

Officials from both the Department of Transportation, responsible for making sure State Road A1A remains open, and the Army Corp of Engineers, which is conducting the feasibility study, attended the workshop to answer questions. Both said decisions about how to address erosion issues are based on a cost-to-benefits structure.

"We look forward to 40 years of service out of improvements made," said DOT project manager Gene Varano, who said the stretch of State Road A1A through Flagler Beach has "chronic erosion problems."

Commissioner Barbara Revels complained about the seawall, which she referred to as sheet piles of rusted steel, north of South 13th Street and asked if there are other solutions to what she deems an eyesore in front of some of the area's most popular hotels.

"His solution does reduce damages, so that's good," said Army Corps spokesman Daniel Haubner in defense of the work the DOT is doing. "The erosion (loss of sand) in front of the seawall is an issue, but from the DOT's standpoint, their goal is to keep A1A open."

Haubner claims most people have already forgotten about the damage caused by the hurricanes in 2004 and 2005, and that interest in renourishment studies wane as memories fade.

Both Haubner and Varano said it's important to get and stay in the "funding chain."

"We want to stay in front of the money game," Revels said, adding she like to see other options to seawalls and pumping sand.

"We're not unaware of other options," Varano said. "I cannot spend your money on experimental options because I have to have (zero) maintenance for four years. And, everyone has a rule now because sea turtles, moisture and temperature affect their nesting."